Headlamp door assembly



March 31, 1970 R, EJOHNSON ET A1 3,504,168

HEADLAMP DOOR A S S EMBLY Filed Jan. 15, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l 'ATTORNEY March 31, 1970 R. E. JOHNSON ET A1. 3,504,168

HEADLAMP DOOR ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1968 7 www@ y ww/eww m mf w .M

March 31, 1970 R, E, JOHNSON ET Al. 3,504,168

HEADLAMP DOOR ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 15, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY United States Patent O FIPice 3,504,168 HEADLAMP DOOR ASSEMBLY Roy E. Johnson, Southfield, Joseph F. Loefiler, East Detroit, and Donald F. Urban, Troy, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 697,694 Int. Cl. B60g 1 04 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A vehicle is provided with a headlamp assembly mounted within a body recess. A pair of doors are mounted for pivotal movement between positions closing the recess and positions opening the recess to reveal the headlamps. One of the doors is connected to an actuator for movement between the open and closed positions. Controls are provided for sequentially moving the other door in response to movement of the one door. In one embodiment, the controls take the form of a toggle linkage. In anoher embodiment, the doors are independent and the controls take the form of abutrnents on the doors which are inter-engageable upon fmovernent of the actuated door to move the other door.

This invention relates generally to vehicle body headlamp assemblies and more specifically to a headlamp concealing door assembly.

Many current automobiles are styled to include. recessed headlamps. When the headlamps are not in use, they are concealed by a headlamp door. When the headlamps are in use, the door is moved to an open position within the body upon remote actuation of a power actuator.

The styling and body structure of some vehicles do not provide suflicient space within the body for storing a single large door in the open position. This invention provides a headlamp door assembly for a vehicle body having limited storage space within the body for receiving the assembly in open position.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a headlamp door assembly having a pair of doors which are movable from a closed headlamp concealing position to a compact open headlamp revealing position inwardly of the body. Another object is to provide the doors with a control arrangement for effecting sequential movement of the doors between open and closed positions. A further object is to move one of the doors by an actuator and to sequentially move the other door by the control arrangement so that the doors do not collide during opening and closing movement.

These and other objects of this invention will become readily apparent upon reference to the following detailed description of the annexed drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a partial perspective view of a vehicle embodying a headlamp door assembly according to this invention, with the doors of the assembly shown in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a partially broken away perspective View of a portion of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3. is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing the doors of the assembly in an open position;

FIGURE 5 is a partially broken away perspective view of another embodiment of this invention, with the doors of the assembly shown in closed position;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 6 6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, showing the doors of the assembly in open position; and

3,504,168 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE l, showing the doors of either embodiment in open position.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a vehicle body 10 having a hood 12 and a recessed grille 14 mounted there-below. The body 10 is provided with conventional ydual headlamp assemblies 16 which are conventionally mounted within recesses 18.

Each recess 18 is opened and `closed by a headlamp door 'assembly 20 according to this invention. Each assembly includes upper and lower doors 22 and 24, respectively. When the doors are in close-d position as shown in FIGURE l, they conceal the headlamps and provide a continuation of the. body and of the grille. When the doors are in an open position as shown in FIGURE 8, they are stored within the body to reveal the headlamp assemblies 16. Since each door assembly is the same, only the right-hand assembly will be particularly described, and it will be understood that the left-hand assembly is of like, opposite hand structure.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, door 22 is pivotally mounted adjacent its upper edge for swinging movement between the closed position of FIGURE 3 and the open position of FIGURE 4. Lower door 24 is pivotally mounted about an axis rearwardly thereof for swinging movement between the FIGURES 3 and 4 positions. An actuator 26 is connected to door 24, by means which will be later described, for movement of the door. A control means or toggle linkage 28 interconnects doors 22 and 24 so that door 22 is sequentially moved in response to movement of door 24 by actuator 26, as will be later described.

A pair of arms 32 and 34 are secured to upper door 22 and are journaled about an axle or pivot pin 36. Pin 36 is journalled in the legs of a U-shaped bracket 38 which is secured to a transverse body member 40. A torsion spring 42, carried by pin 36, has its legs anchored to the legs of bracket 38 and includes a U-shaped intermediate depending portion engaging the rear side of door 22 to bias the door to the closed position of FIGURE 3, in which doormounted stops 44 and 46, FIGURE 2, engage the body.

Lower door 24 is secured at its left-hand side to a rearwardly extending arm 48 which is pivoted at 50 to a mounting bracket S2 bolted to a body support S4. At its other side, door 24 is secured to an offset bell crank member 56 whichis pivoted at 58 to ange 60 of an angle bracket 62 bolted to a body support 64. Thus, lower door 24 is pivotable about an axis defined by pivots S0 and 58.

A tension spring 66 extends between a lateral flange 68 of member 56 and a flange 69 of bracket 62. When door 24 is in the closed position of FIGURE 3, the line of force of spring 66 lies to one side of pivots 50 and 58 to bias the door counterclockwise to this position and hold member 56 in engagement with an adjustable stop 70 mounted on the forward end of bracket 62.

It is readily apparent that the paths of movement of doors 22 and 24 intersect between open and vclosed positions. The toggle linkage 28 is provided to sequentially move door 22 in response to movement of door 24 so that the doors will not collide during their opening and closing movements.

The toggle linkage includes a link 72 pivoted at 74 to member 56, and a link 76 which is pivoted to link 72 at 78. Link 76 is pivoted at 80 to an angled extension 82 of door 22 which mounts stop 46. A torsion spring 84, carried by pivot 74, has one leg 86 engaging ange 68 and another leg 88 engaging link 72 to bias link 72 counterclockwise about pivot 74, as shown in FIGURE 3.

Actuator 26 is a conventional double acting vacuum motor powered by manifold vacuum and controlled from within the passenger compartment by conventional Valve means, not shown. Actuator 26 is pivoted at 90 to an upstanding arm 92 of bracket 62 and includes a piston rod 94 having a closed slot 96 that slidably receives pivot pin 98 mounted on arm 100 of member 56. Movement of piston rod 94 elects pivotal movement of member 56 and door 24 through the pin-and-slot lost motion connection 96, 98.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the operation of the preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described. Lower door 24 is held in the closed position of FIGURE 3 by spring 66, while upper door 22 is held in the closed position by spring 42 and, to a lesser extent, by spring 80 acting through links 72 and 76. In this position, rod 94 is fully extended and pin 98 is located centrally of slot 96.

When use of the headlamps is desired, actuator 26 is energized to retract rod 94 and engage pivot pin 98 with the forward end of slot 96, thus pivoting member 56 and door 24 clockwise about pivots 50 and 5S against the force of spring 66. This swings door 24 upwardly of headlamp assembly 16, causing link 72 to rotate counterclockwise about pivot 74 under the influence of spring 80 until door 24 has moved a suicieut distance through its path to permit movement of door 22 without collision. At this time, link 72 engages flange 68 of member 56 to lock the link against further counterclockwise rotation. Upon continued movement of door 24, the locked link 72 forces link 76 rearwardly and upwardly to move door 22 counterclockwise about pivot piu 36 against the force of spring 42.

As door 24 moves through the terminal portion of its path, the line of force of spring 66 shifts to the other side of pivots 50 and S8 to bias door 24 to its fully open position of FIGURE 4. Simultaneously, toggle linkage 2S moves door 22 through the terminal portion of its path. Door 24 is located in the open position by spring 66 which holds a stop 162 mounted centrally of door 24 against body support 4 having a slot 106 for accommodating the upper portion of the door. Door 22 is maintained in the open position by the toggle linkage 28.

Actuator 26 is de-energized in the position of FIGURE 4 so that pivot pin 98 is located centrally of slot 96 to relieve any external spring forces on actuator 26. The absence of external forces increases the durability of actuator 28 and enables the use of a less sturdy construction.

It will be noted that as the force of spring 42 is increased upon opening movement of door 22, the force of spring 80l is reduced. The spring rates of these springs is chosen so that they tend to counteract each other and result in a more constant spring force which, through linkage 28 and member 56, oppose spring 66. This enables use of a lower rate spring 66 which in turn lowers the output requirements of actuator 26.

When use of the headlamps is no longer needed, and it is desired toagain conceal the headlamp assembly 16, actuator 26 is energized to extend rod 94. Upon engagement of the rear end of slot 96 with pivot pin 98, member 56 will swing counterclockwise about pivots S0 and 58 against the force of spring 66. As door 24 and member 56 begin movement, the moving linkage 28 enables spring 42 to move door 22 clockwise about pivot pin 36 and out of the path of movement of door 24. Door 22 then moves to the closed position of FIGURE 3 in which stops 42 engage the body.

Upon continued movement of member S6, the line of force of spring 66 again shifts to the other side of pivots S0 and 58. Spring 66 then moves door 24 to the FIGURE 3 position, in which member 56 engages stop 70. Actuator 26 is defenergized in the FIGURE 3 position so that pin 98 is again centrally of slot 96 to again relieve actuator 26 of any biasing forces.

An alternative embodiment of a headlamp door assembly according to this invention is shown in FIGURES 5 through 7, in which elements identical or substantially similar to the corresponding elements of the preferred embodiment of FIGURES 2 through 4 are denoted by the 4 same identifying numbers. This embodiment diers from the preferred embodiment primarily in that the toggle linkage is replaced by another control means and the actuator is relocated.

Upper door 22 is mounted in the same manner as in the preferred embodiment. Lower door 24 is secured to rearwardly extending right and left arms and 112 which are respectively pivoted to the body at 114 and A116. Actuator 26 is vertically mounted inboard of the doors and its pistonrod 94 is xedly pivoted at 118 to a crank arm 120. Arm extends through a slot 122 in body support 54 and is secured to arm 112. Movement of rod 94 pivots door 24 about pivots 114 and 116 between the closed position of FIGURE 6 and the open position of FIGURE 7.

Upon extension of rod 94, door 24 moves upwardly of headlamp assembly 16, as in the preferred embodiment. After door 24 has moved a sucient distance through its path to permit movement of door 22 without collision, a control tab or abutment 124 extending inwardly from the lower edge of door 24 engages an angled control lever or abutment 126 extending from the upper edge of door 22. Thereafter, continued movement of door 24 moves door 22 to its open position against the force of spring 42. Again, door 24 is located in this position by engagement of stop 102 with body support 104. Door 22 is held open by the engagement of control abutments 124 and 126.

When it is desired to move the doors to the closed position of FIGURE 6, actuator 26 is energized to retract arm 94, whereupon movement of door 24` will permit spring 42 to move door 22 to the closed position, so that door 24 may proceed to its fully closed position without colliding with door 22. Actuator 26 is then automatically stopped with lower door 24 positioned by engagement with stop 70 and the upper door 22 positioned -by engagement of stops 44 and 46 with the vehicle body, as in the preferred embodiment.

While only two embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, others are obvious and are contemplated within the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle body having a headlamp assembly mounted within a body recess, closure means for the recess comprising a first door,

means mounting the rst door on the body for movement through a path between a first position, closing one portion of the recess, and a second position within the body, opening that portion of the recess,

a second door,

means mounting the second door on the body for movement through a path between a rst position, closing the other portion of the recess and cooperating with the iirst door to conceal the headlamp assembly, and a second position within the body, opening the other portion of the recess,

an actuator mounted on the body,

connecting means connecting the actuator and the second door for effecting movement of the second door between first and second positions upon actuation of the actuator, and

control means on the first and second doors responsive to movement of the second door from rst to second positions for eiecting sequential movement of the first door from iirst to second positions to open the recess and reveal the headlamp assembly.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the paths of movement of the doors intersect and the control means includes means operable after partial movement of the second door toward second position to interconnect the doors for joint movement to second position to prevent collision of the doors during the movement thereof.

3. The combination of claim 2, including means biasing the first door to first position, and wherein the door interconnecting means include an abutment on the first door and an abutment on the second door engageable thereby after partial movement of the second door from first to second positions.

4. The combination of claim 2, wherein the door interconnecting means comprise a toggle linkage pivotally interconnecting the first and second doors and means locking one of the links after partial movement of the second door from first to second positions to effect movement of the first door to second position.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the toggle linkage includes a link pivoted to the first door and a second link pivotally interconnecting the first link and the second door, and the second door includes an abutment engaging the second link 'after partial movement of the second door from first to second positions to lock the second link against further pivotal movement,

6. The combination of claim 5, including a first spring biasing the first door to first position, a second spring alternately biasing the second door to first and second positions, and a third spring biasing the link toward abutment with the second door, the first and third springs functioning to counteract each other to provide a substantially balanced spring force on the first door.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1943 Grose 240-7.1 5/ 1969 Michelotti 24U-7.1 

